By Matthew Roscoe • Published: 05 Jan 2022 • 16:40
Breaking: Novak Djokovic DENIED entry to Australia.
BREAKING NEWS – Novak Djokovic has been denied entry to Australia after travelling to the country to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne. His involvement in the tournament now looks in jeopardy. Djokovic was unable to pass through passport control after a member of his support team made a critical mistake in requesting a sub-class of visa that does not apply to those who have received medical exemptions from a Covid-19 vaccine, according to The Times. Just minutes before the world number one landed, Victoria’s acting Sports Minister, Jaala Pulford, said the federal government had asked the state government to support Djokovic’s visa application. “We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam,” she said, on Twitter. “We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors.”
Update on #AusOpen2022… The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia. We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam. 1/2 — Hon. Jaala Pulford (@JaalaPulford) January 5, 2022
Update on #AusOpen2022…
The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia.
We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam.
1/2
— Hon. Jaala Pulford (@JaalaPulford) January 5, 2022
And while travelling down under, the 20-times grand-slam champion was warned by Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison that he must prove his medical exemption. The PM told reporters at a press conference today (January 5): “There should be no special rules for Novak Djokovic at all. None whatsoever… We await his presentation and what evidence he provides us to support that,” he said. “My view is that any individual seeking to enter Australia must comply with our border requirements.
“When Novak Djokovic arrives in Australia he has to, if he’s not vaccinated, provide acceptable proof that he cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to be able to access the same travel arrangements as fully vaccinated travellers.
“So we await his presentation and what evidence he provides us to support that. If that evidence is insufficient, then he will be treated no different to anyone else and he’ll be on the next plane home,” he concluded.
Morrison was not the only person furious at the medical exemption granted to the 34-year-old. Many tennis fans online criticised the decision calling it a double standard. One EWN reader took to Facebook to write: “What makes him so special and flout the rules everyone else has to follow. It’s wrong!”
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
if I were Novak I would laugh at you and sue you my health would be more important to me
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